Navigating Political Messaging During Midterm Elections

21 October 2026 3 min read هدهد تك | Hudhud Tech

Organizations must carefully navigate messaging around political issues during midterm election season. Internal communicators face the challenge of balancing political discussions without alienating parts of their workforce.

Kristie Vainikos Stegen, chief brand and communications officer at Cotality, explained to Ragan that employees have nuanced expectations regarding their organizations’ political stances. “I don’t think employees have an expectation that their leadership teams or the company are going to put their name on a lot of political views, nor do I think they want that,” she said. “But what I do think they want is for their companies to be vocal on issues of import to their business.”

This expectation places significant responsibility on communicators to exercise sound judgment. Many political issues can impact organizations, and it is crucial for communication professionals to discern when to craft a message.

“A communicator has a responsibility to deeply understand the business, first and foremost,” Vainikos Stegen stated. This understanding enables them to advise leadership on relevant topics for discussion.

Internal communicators must also remember that their workforce holds a diverse range of political views. The organization’s messaging should resonate with all employees, regardless of their political beliefs.

“Staying factual and not taking a side is often the right way,” Vainikos Stegen noted. She emphasized the importance of aligning communications with the organization’s established values and mission to maintain an unbiased approach.

During Ragan’s Future of Communications Conference next month, Vainikos Stegen will discuss strategies for effective employee communications during midterm elections and their aftermath.

Assessing Employee Impact

Not every political issue warrants a message to employees. Vainikos Stegen suggests using a decision-making framework similar to that used in crisis situations. “Just like crisis situations, a communicator should have a bit of a decision tree they use to decide, ‘Do I talk about this or not?’” she explained.

Communicators should consider the potential impact of political issues on employees and prepare their messaging accordingly. Vainikos Stegen cautioned that many political matters will reach employees before the organization can respond.

Proactive Planning for Election Day

Vainikos Stegen advises communicators to develop a plan for internal messaging as Election Day approaches. “It’s good to put together a bit of a guidebook for yourself to say, ‘OK, depending on the outcomes, how might this impact our business?’” she said.

Involving management in the election communications plan is crucial, as they are often the first point of contact for employees with questions. Vainikos Stegen highlighted the importance of engaging managers as a distinct audience, noting that they receive weekly newsletters with talking points and toolkits to facilitate necessary conversations.